AU2002359684A1 - Tracking user flow of web pages of a web site - Google Patents
Tracking user flow of web pages of a web site Download PDFInfo
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- AU2002359684A1 AU2002359684A1 AU2002359684A AU2002359684A AU2002359684A1 AU 2002359684 A1 AU2002359684 A1 AU 2002359684A1 AU 2002359684 A AU2002359684 A AU 2002359684A AU 2002359684 A AU2002359684 A AU 2002359684A AU 2002359684 A1 AU2002359684 A1 AU 2002359684A1
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Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/01—Protocols
- H04L67/02—Protocols based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/50—Network services
- H04L67/56—Provisioning of proxy services
- H04L67/565—Conversion or adaptation of application format or content
- H04L67/5651—Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
- G06F16/90—Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
- G06F16/95—Retrieval from the web
- G06F16/954—Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/50—Network services
- H04L67/56—Provisioning of proxy services
- H04L67/568—Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
- H04L67/5682—Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L9/00—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
- H04L9/40—Network security protocols
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
- H04L69/30—Definitions, standards or architectural aspects of layered protocol stacks
- H04L69/32—Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
- H04L69/322—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions
- H04L69/329—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
Description
WO 03/052571 PCT/USO2/39772 TRACKING USER FLOW OF WEB PAGES OF A WEB SITE FIELD The field of the present disclosure pertains to the management of Web pages on a distributed computer network. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for monitoring Web page flow through hyperlinked Web pages and efficiently implementing Web page updates and changes on an Internet Web site. The present disclosure describes a method and system for tracking a user flow of Web pages of a Web site to enable efficient updating of the hyperlinks of the Web site. BACKGROUND One of the most important societal changes of recent times has been the emergence of the Internet, more particularly, the World Wide Web (e.g., the Web), as a predominant communications medium. The Web presents a navigable aggregation of Web page content of all the Web connected computers. This navigable aggregation of content is linked in such a way as to offer users access to information and documentation, typically in the form of interactive hypermedia, or Web pages. Web pages describe documents in which hypertext links are used for connecting a multitude of combinations of graphics, audio, video, and text. Such combinations are often interlinked and interconnected in nonlinear, nonsequential manners.
WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 Web page authors use specialized software, for example, HTML (hypertext markup language), Java, XML (extensible markup language), and the like, to create Web pages and to format the various hyperlinks, objects, 5 fields, etc., within the Web pages. Web page authors also use a variety of tools to track the structure of the links between the many Web pages that comprise the Web site. The ability to define the interaction of many different Web pages with one another through the use of the hyperlinks enable the creation of powerful comprehensive Web sites directed towards particular [0 needs or particular purposes. Examples include news portal Web sites, sports oriented Web sites, and particularly, electronic commerce oriented Web sites. The creation and updating of such large Web sites, having many hundreds of complex interlinked, interrelated Web pages, has become a very technical and manpower intensive undertaking. L5 The most basic component of Web page creation is the HTML editor. An HTML editor is a low-level Web site authoring tool that is essentially a text editor, specialized for writing HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) code. It assists the HTML author (e.g., the Web page author or Web site 20 designer) by cataloging all HTML tags and common structures in menus and by being able to catch certain syntax errors. It often displays tags and contents in colors so they pop out for easy reference. HTML editors comprise the foundation of many different prior art Web authoring software tools. Web authoring software (e.g., often synonymous with Web development 25 software) generates the required HTML code for the pages. Trained developers work with the HTML editors and the Web authoring software to produce the many Web pages of the Web site. Within a given Web site, 2 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 collections of related Web pages are usually linked together using hypertext links, or hyperlinks. The basic structure of hyperlinked Web pages is designed to promote the process of browsing from one document to another along hypertext links. A significant amount of effort is expended to ensure 5 the clarity and reliability of HTML code, the technical correctness of the Web pages, and the reliability and technical correctness of the many hundreds of hyperlinks embedded within the Web pages. There exists a problem, however, in that site navigation for documents -0 (e.g., Web pages) is performed via hyperlinks that are embedded within the HTML structure documents. These embedded hyperlinks can be static or dynamic to some extent, in that the parameters they pass are different, but the base URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the same. Site navigation is therefore to some extent fixed. The nature of the hyperlinks leads users to [5 "flow" from one page to another, following the interconnected hyperlinks from the original document (e.g., homepage) to the ultimate destination document. The embedded nature of the hyperlinks results in little or no control of the Web site author to change or alter the flow without having to rebuild Web pages, add new hyperlinks, or embed logic in a given Web page to control the 20 flow. Rebuilding Web pages is usually not a cost-effective option. To change the hyperlinks of a document, as with changes to the color, tabs, buttons, or the like, often requires completely rebuilding the page. With current Web 25 site authoring tools there exists very tight constraints with regard to the code comprising the page. It is difficult to simply "cut and paste" changes into the page. Any new hyperlinks have to be verified to ensure they link to the 3 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 correct Web pages. Changing hyperlinks introduces the possibility of "breaking" existing hyperlinks for other connected documents. Thus, it becomes expensive to implement changes to, for example, respond to competitors. It becomes expensive to quickly modify a user flow in response 5 to changes in the products. Thus, what is required is a way to simplify the process of maintaining a Web site. What is required is a solution that renders the update and maintenance process of a user flow of a Web site much easier than the prior 10 art. What is required is a solution that simplifies the changing and maintaining of hyperlinks within Web pages of a Web site. The required solution should improve the speed and responsiveness of the resulting site to changing conditions, customers, and the like. The present invention provides a novel solution to these requirements. 15 4 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 SUMMARY The present invention provides a method and system for simplifying the process of maintaining a Web site. The present invention provides a solution that renders the update and maintenance process of a user flow of a 5 Web site much easier than the prior art. The present invention provides a solution that simplifies the changing and maintaining of hyperlinks within the Web pages of a Web site. The present invention improves the speed and responsiveness of a Web site to changing conditions, customers, and the like. Additionally, the present invention streamlines the Web site maintenance 10 process while retaining reliable technical aspects (e.g., java, HTML, etc.) of the Web site. In one embodiment, the present invention is implemented as a computer implemented method for tracking a user flow of Web pages of a [5 Web site to enable efficient updating of the hyperlinks of the Web site, such as, for example, an electronic commerce Web site. In this embodiment, for each Web page of the Web site, a Web page is accessed and a set of actions available to a user (e.g., add items to a shopping cart, remove items from shopping cart, or the like) are determined for the Web page. Similarly, a set ,0 of the next pages (e.g., product colors, features, customizations, etc.) linked to the Web page are determined. A set of rules are defined that modify the set of actions available to the user or the set of next pages linked to the Web page in accordance with any predetermined conditions, such as, for example, an identity of the user. For example, depending upon the identity of the user, 5 a different set of Web pages listing prices, products, customizations, etc., specific to the user can be linked as next pages. 5 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 The set of actions, the set of next pages, and the set of rules are stored in a table data structure for the Web page to track a user flow of the Web page. The table data structure enables the user flow of the Web page to be 5 changed by altering the corresponding set of rules in the table data structure for the Web page. Similarly, the user flow can be changed by altering the set of actions available to the user, or by altering the set of next pages linked to the Web page in the table data structure for the Web page. A plurality of Web pages can be stored within a single table data structures, or a plurality 10 of table data structures can be generated for each of the plurality of Web pages of the Web site. The table data structures can be stored in a matrix to track a user flow of the entire Web site. A graphical user interface is presented to the Web site manager (e.g., [5 on a workstation display) that visually depicts the matrix of table data structures that characterize the flow of the Web site. Thus, the Web site manager can alter, modify, redefine, and otherwise manage the user flow of the entire Web site through the intuitive graphical user interface representation of the matrix of table data structures. In this manner, the 20 present invention provides a solution that renders the update and maintenance process of a user flow of a Web site much easier than the prior art, and simplifies the changing and maintaining of hyperlinks within Web pages of a Web site. 25 6 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which: 5 Figure 1 shows an exemplary user flow of a Web site in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows a diagram at a table data structure in accordance with 0 one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 shows a flowchart of the steps of a user flow tracking process for a Web site in accordance with one'embodiment of the present invention. 5 Figure 4 shows the components of a computer system platform in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 7 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred 5 embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present S invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not 5 to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a computer implemented method for tracking a user flow of Web pages of a Web site to enable efficient updating of the hyperlinks of the Web site. The present 3 invention provides a solution that renders the update and maintenance process of a user flow of a Web site much easier than the prior art. the present invention provides a solution that simplifies the changing and maintaining of hyperlinks within Web pages of a Web site. The present invention improves the speed and responsiveness of the resulting site to 5 changing conditions, customers, and the like. Additionally, the present invention streamlines the Web site maintenance process while retaining 8 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 reliable technical aspects (e.g., java, HTML, etc.) of the Web site. The present invention and its benefits are further described below. Notation and Nomenclature 5 Some portions of the detailed descriptions which follow are presented in terms of procedures, steps, logic blocks, processing, and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. These descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to 10 others skilled in the art. A procedure, computer executed step, logic block, process, etc., is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps or instructions leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals 15 capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated in a computer system. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like. 20 It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present invention, discussions utilizing terms such as 25 "processing" or "computing" or "communicating" or "instantiating" or "registering" or "displaying" or the like, refer to the action and processes of a 9 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 computer system (e.g., computer system 512 of Figure 4), or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within 5 the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices. Method and System Figure 1 shows an exemplary user flow 100 of a Web site in accordance S with one embodiment of the present invention. As depicted in Figure 1, user flow 100 includes the.hyperlinked Web pages 101-122. In this case, user flow 100 depicts the sequence of pages presented to a user as in, for example, an electronic commerce based Web site. 5 The first page the user visits is the Web site homepage 101. As with many Web sites on the Internet, homepage 101 functions as the welcoming front-end of the Web site. As such, most of the user flows possible in the Web site begin with the homepage 101. As depicted in Figure 1, the user flow continues from left to right, as the user hyperlinks to a sections page 102, 0 then to a product page 103, and so on. The user flow concludes on the right hand side of Figure 1, with the user hyperlinking through a confirmation page 120, a place order page 121, and ending at a credit card page 122. Referring still Figure 1, user flow 100 functions in a manner familiar 5 to any person having experienced "Web surfing" on the Internet. As with conventional Web sites, the Web pages 101-122 are hyperlinked to one 10 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 another via embedded hyperlinks within the structure of the Web pages themselves. These hyperlinks can be either static or dynamic to some extent depending upon the parameters they pass. However, in accordance with the present invention, user flow 100 is not fixed by the embedded hyperlinks of 5 the Web pages 101-122. The interface of the present invention enables efficient control of user flow 100, allowing a Web site designer to alter user flow 100 without having to individually embed or change logic in a given page to control the flow. LO[0 In the present embodiment, the control of user flow 100 is provided through the use of an extended form of hyperlink in each of pages 101-122. In this embodiment, each of the hyperlinks controlling user flow 100 comprises an extended URL that takes in addition to the normal URL parameters, parameters that define the document presently viewed by the 15 user (e.g., a current page) and the action being performed (e.g., clicking on objects in the Web page, adding to a shopping cart, removing from a shopping cart, etc.). Given this information, it's possible to determine the next logical flow by performing a lookup on a table that defines what the next Web page ought to be based on the page being viewed and the action taken. The 20 information defined by the table and hence the flow of the Web site is determined by the Web site manager (e.g., the merchant), and can be stored in a database. The table(s) can also store additional information such as whether the next page being viewed should be viewed with a secure connection. Changing the user flow of an entire site therefore only requires 25 changing the corresponding information stored in the table(s). 11 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 Alternatively, instead ofpredefining what the next page is going to be and storing this information in the table, a rule-based mechanism can be implemented which dynamically selects the next page using, for example, an inference engine, and also takes into account additional criteria such as the 5 identity of the user, account type, etc. This solution works well for both static highly dynamic sites. The addition of the rule-based mechanism enables powerful dynamic control of a Web site. User flow control in accordance with present invention provides a 10 number of advantages. For example, user flow 100 can be managed via a GUI that graphically depicts and allows editing of the information stored within the one or more tables for the Web site. This is very much different from the prior art methods of modifying individual Web page files. User flow control in accordance with present invention facilitates the tracking and 15 management changes through an approval process. User flow 100 can be changed in an instant without having to modify the files comprising Web pages 101-122. In so doing, the Web site truly becomes dynamic in nature, able to easily change and respond to different conditions and competitors of the marketplace. The rule-based mechanism allows a merchant to easily 20 define the flow for different types of accounts and/or for different individual customers. For example, a first-time customer would see a different set of price lists (e.g., customer price lists 109-112) than a large high-volume customer. Similarly, for example, and outside supplier would see a different set of products (e.g., product descriptions 104-106) than a division within the 25 merchant's company. 12 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 Figure 2 shows a diagram of a table data structure 200 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As depicted in Figure 2, table data structure 200 (hereafter table 200) includes columns for the current page 201, an action 202, next page 203, and rules 204. 5 In this embodiment, flow information for each of the Web pages within the Web site are stored within the table 200 to present an overall view of the user flow. A first row 210 of table 200 shows entries for the sections page 102 of Figure 1, as shown by the entry in the current page column 201. For the 10 sections page 102, the set of actions available to a user (e.g., add items to a shopping cart, remove items from the shopping cart, or the like) are listed in the actions column 202. Similarly, the set of the next pages (e.g., product colors, features, customizations, etc.) linked to the sections page 102 are listed in the next page column 203. A set of rules that define and/or modify 15 the set of actions available to the user or the set of next pages linked to the sections page 102 are listed in the rules column 204. In this manner, the set of actions, the set of next pages, and the set of rules are stored in a table data structure 200 to enable a Web site manager to 20 intuitively track a user flow of the Web page. The table data structure enables the user flow of the Web page to be changed by altering the corresponding set of rules in the table data structure for the Web page. Similarly, by using the table data structure for the Web page, the user flow can be changed by altering the set of actions available to the user, or by 25 altering the set of next pages linked to the Web page. A number of Web pages of the Web site can be stored on successive rows of table 200 in the same manner as sections page 102. Similarly, a number of table data 13 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 structures can be generated to catalog all of the Web pages of the Web site, and the table data structures can be stored in a matrix to track a user flow of the entire Web site. 5 The tabular quality of table 200 is well suited for use with a graphical user interface software application. For example, table 200 can be presented to the Web site manager (e.g., on a workstation display), either alone or with a set of such tables, to visually depict the flow of the Web site. Thus, for example, the Web site manager can alter, create, redefine, and otherwise 10 manage the user flow of the entire Web site through the intuitive graphical user interface representation of a matrix of table data structures. In this manner, the present invention provides a solution that renders the update and maintenance process of a user flow of a Web site much easier than the prior art, and simplifies the changing and maintaining of hyperlinks within 15 Web pages of a Web site. Referring now to Figure 3, a flowchart of the steps of a user flow tracking process 300 for a Web site in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Process 300 is a computer implemented method 20 for tracking a user flow of Web pages of a Web site to enable efficient updating of the hyperlinks of the Web site, such as, for example, an electronic commerce Web site. Process 300 shows steps involved in setting up a Web site for use with tables and matrices as described above. 25 Process 300 begins in step 301, where a set of actions available to a user are determined for each Web page of a Web site. For each Web page of the Web site, the Web page is accessed and a set of actions available to a user 14 WO 03/052571 PCT/USO2/39772 (e.g., add items to a shopping cart, remove items from shopping cart, or the like) are determined for the Web page. In step 302, a set of the next pages linked to the Web page is 5 determined for each Web page of the Web site. The set of the next pages include, for example, product colors, features, customizations, etc.) linked to the Web page. In step 303, for each Web page, a set of rules are defined that modify 10 the set of actions available to the user or the set of next pages linked to the Web page in accordance with, for example, an identity of the user. As described above, the rule-based mechanism allows the customization of the flow for different types of accounts and/or for different individual customers. For example, a first-time customer would see a different set of price lists (e.g., 15 customer price lists 109-112) than a large high-volume customer. Referring still to process 300 of Figure 3, in step 304, for each Web page, the set of actions, the set of next pages, and the set of rules are stored in a table data structure. The table data structure (e.g., table 200 of Figure 20 2) includes columns for the current page, an action, a next page, and rules. In step 305, the table data structure is presented to the Web site manager using a GUI of a software application (e.g., on a desktop computer system). The tabular attributes of the table data structure are well suited for 25 use with a GUI software application. For example, the table data structure can be presented to the Web site manager (e.g., on a workstation display), 15 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 either alone or with a set of such tables, to visually depict the flow of the Web site. In step 306, the user flow of the Web page is changed/modified by 5 altering the information stored in the table data structure. Thus, as described above, the Web site manager can alter, create, redefine, and otherwise manage the user flow of the entire Web site through the intuitive graphical user interface representation of the matrix of table data structures. Computer System Platform 10 With reference now to Figure 4, a computer system 512 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Computer system 512 shows the components of a computer system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention that provides the execution platform for implementing certain software based functionality of the present invention. 15 As described above, certain processes and steps of the present invention are realized, in one embodiment, as a series of instructions (e.g., software program) that reside within computer readable memory units of a computer system (e.g., system 512) and are executed by the processor(s) of system 512. When executed, the instructions cause the computer system 512 to 20 implement the functionality of the present invention as described above. In general, computer system 512 shows the basic components of a computer system used to implement "server" machines and "client" machines. Computer system 512 comprises an address/data bus 500 for communicating 25 information, one or more central processors 501 coupled with the bus 500 for processing information and instructions, a computer readable volatile 16 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 memory unit 502 (e.g., random access memory, static RAM, dynamic, RAM, etc.) coupled with the bus 500 for storing information and instructions for the central processor(s) 501, a computer readable non-volatile memory unit (e.g., read only memory, programmable ROM, flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, 5 etc.) coupled with the bus 500 for storing static information and instructions for the processor(s) 501. System 512 also includes a mass storage computer readable data storage device 504 such as a magnetic or optical disk and disk drive coupled with the bus 500 for storing information and instructions. Optionally, system 512 can include a display device 505 coupled to the bus LO 500 for displaying information to the computer user, an alphanumeric input device 506 including alphanumeric and function keys coupled to the bus 500 for communicating information and command selections to the central processor(s) 501, a cursor control device 507 coupled to the bus for communicating user input information and command selections to the central L5 processor(s) 501, and a signal generating device 508 coupled to the bus 500 for communicating command selections to the processor(s) 501. Thus, the present invention provides a computer implemented method for tracking a user flow of Web pages of a Web site to enable efficient Z0 updating of the hyperlinks of the Web site. The present invention provides a solution that renders the update and maintenance process of a user flow of a Web site much easier than the prior art. the present invention provides a solution that simplifies the changing and maintaining of hyperlinks within Web pages of a Web site. The present invention improves the speed and 25 responsiveness of the resulting site to changing conditions, customers, and the like. Additionally, the present invention streamlines the Web site 17 WO 03/052571 PCT/USO2/39772 maintenance process while retaining reliable technical aspects (e.g., java, HTML, etc.) of the Web site. This application discloses a method for tacking a user flow of Web pages of a Web site to enable efficient updating of the hyperlinks of the Web site. A Web page is accessed out of a plurality of Web pages of a Web site. A set of actions available to a user are determined for the Web page. A set of the next pages linked to the Web page are determined for the Web page. A set of rules are defined that modify the set of actions available to the user or the set of next pages linked to the Web page in accordance with an identity of the user. The set of actions, the set of next pages, and the set of rules are stored in a table data structure for the Web page to track a user flow of the Web page. The table data structure enables the user flow of the Web page to be changed by altering the corresponding set of rules in the table data structure for the Web page. Similarly, the user flow can be changed by altering the set of actions available to the user, or by altering the set of next pages linked to the Web page in the table data structure for the Web page. A plurality of table data structures can be generated for each of the plurality of Web pages of the Web site, and the table data structures can be stored in a matrix to track a user flow of the entire Web site. 18 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. All of the numerical and quantitative measurements set forth in this application (including in the examples and in the claims) are approximations. The invention illustratively disclosed or claimed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed or claimed herein. Thus, the invention may comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the elements disclosed or claimed herein. The following claims are entitled to the broadest possible scope consistent with this application. The claims shall not necessarily be limited to the preferred embodiments or to the embodiments shown in the examples. 19
Claims (14)
1. A method comprising the steps of: a) accessing a Web page out of a plurality of Web pages of a Web site; b) determining a set of actions available to a user for Web page; c) determining a set of the next pages linked to the Web page; d) defining a set of rules that modify the set of actions available to the user or the set of next pages linked to the Web page in accordance with an identity of the user; and e) storing the set of actions, the set of next pages, and the set of rules in a table data structure for the Web page to track a user flow of the Web page.
2. The method of Claim 1, wherein said method comprises a method for tracking a user flow of Web pages of a Web site to enable efficient updating of the hyperlinks of the Web site.
3. An apparatus including a computer system having a processor fo executing computer readable instructions, which when executed cause the computer system to implement a method comprising the steps of: a) accessing a Web page out of a plurality of Web pages of a Web site; b) determining a set of actions available to a user for Web page; c) determining a set of the next pages linked to the Web page; d) defining a set of rules that modify the set of actions available to the user or the set of next pages linked to the Web page in accordance with an identity of the user; and e) storing the set of actions, the set of next pages, and the set of rules in a table data 20 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 structure for the Web page to track a user flow of the Web page.
4. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein said apparatus is an apparatus for tracking a user flow of Web pages of a Web site to enable efficient updating of the hyperlinks of the Web site.
5. A computer readable media for having computer readable instructions for implementing a method which when executed by a processor of a computer system cause the computer system to implement the steps of: a) accessing a Web page out of a plurality of Web pages of a Web site; b) determining a set of actions available to a user for Web page; c) determining a set of the next pages linked to the Web page; d) defining a set of rules that modify the set of actions available to the user or the set of next pages linked to the Web page in accordance with an identity of the user; and e) storing the set of actions, the set of next pages, and the set of rules in a table data structure for the Web page to track a user flow of the Web page.
6. The computer readable media of Claim 5, wherein said method is for tracking a user flow of Web pages of a Web site to enable efficient updating of the hyperlinks of the Web site.
7. The method of Claims 1 or 2, the apparatus of Claims 3 or 4, or the computer readable media of Claims 5 or 6, further including the step of altering the user flow of the Web page by altering the corresponding set of rules in the table data structure for the Web page.
8. The method of Claims 1 or 2, the apparatus of Claims 3 or 4, or the computer readable media of Claims 5 or 6, further including the step of altering the user flow of the Web 21 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772 page by altering the set of actions available to the user in the table data structure for the Web page.
9. The method of Claims 1 or 2, the apparatus of Claims 3 or 4, or the computer readable media of Claims 5 or 6, further including the step of altering the user flow of the Web page by altering the set of next pages linked to the Web page in the table data structure for the Web page.
10. The method of Claims 1 or 2, the apparatus of Claims 3 or 4, or the computer readable media of Claims 5 or 6, further including the step of defining the set of rules for the Web page to link a particular set of next Web pages for a particular user, the particular user determined by the identity.
11. The method, apparatus, or computer readable media of Claim 10, further including the step of managing the user flow of the Web page using a graphical user interface presenting a depiction of the table data structure.
12. The method of Claims 1 or 2, the apparatus of Claims 3 or 4, or the computer readable media of Claims 5 or 6, further including the steps of: generating a plurality of table data structures for each of the plurality of Web pages of the Web site; and storing the table data structures in a matrix to track a user flow of the Web site.
13. The method, apparatus, or computer readable media of Claim 12, further including the step of altering a user flow of the Web site by altering the matrix of table data structures. 22 WO 03/052571 PCT/US02/39772
14. The method, apparatus, or computer readable media of Claim 12, further including the step of managing a user flow of the Web site using a graphical user interface presenting a depiction of the matrix of table data structures. 23
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US8275661B1 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2012-09-25 | Verizon Corporate Services Group Inc. | Targeted banner advertisements |
US8572069B2 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2013-10-29 | Apple Inc. | Semi-automatic index term augmentation in document retrieval |
AU4328000A (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2000-10-16 | Verizon Laboratories Inc. | Techniques for performing a data query in a computer system |
US6718363B1 (en) * | 1999-07-30 | 2004-04-06 | Verizon Laboratories, Inc. | Page aggregation for web sites |
US6912525B1 (en) | 2000-05-08 | 2005-06-28 | Verizon Laboratories, Inc. | Techniques for web site integration |
US7333991B2 (en) * | 2002-08-05 | 2008-02-19 | Todd E. Vander Hill | Digital design and maintenance system and method |
US7716322B2 (en) * | 2002-09-23 | 2010-05-11 | Alcatel-Lucent Usa Inc. | Automatic exploration and testing of dynamic Web sites |
US7529693B2 (en) * | 2003-07-31 | 2009-05-05 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method and system for designing a catalog with optimized product placement |
US7409422B2 (en) * | 2003-08-21 | 2008-08-05 | Microsoft Corporation | Declarative page view and click tracking systems and methods |
US8230072B1 (en) * | 2005-03-18 | 2012-07-24 | Oracle America, Inc. | Linking to popular navigation paths in a network |
JP4267011B2 (en) * | 2006-08-24 | 2009-05-27 | キヤノン株式会社 | Image forming apparatus, authority control server, and image forming system |
US8392837B2 (en) * | 2007-02-28 | 2013-03-05 | Red Hat, Inc. | Browser supporting multiple users |
US7991830B2 (en) * | 2007-02-28 | 2011-08-02 | Red Hat, Inc. | Multiple sessions between a server and multiple browser instances of a browser |
US8051370B2 (en) * | 2008-04-23 | 2011-11-01 | Microsoft Corporation | Intelligent autocompletion |
CA2700030C (en) * | 2009-04-16 | 2019-11-05 | Accenture Global Services Gmbh | Touchpoint customization system |
US8407598B2 (en) * | 2009-12-09 | 2013-03-26 | Ralph Lee Burton | Dynamic web control generation facilitator |
US8655943B2 (en) | 2010-05-31 | 2014-02-18 | Oracle International Corporation | Web server providing access to documents having multiple versions |
US10984166B2 (en) * | 2017-09-29 | 2021-04-20 | Oracle International Corporation | System and method for extracting website characteristics |
US11455364B2 (en) | 2020-06-23 | 2022-09-27 | International Business Machines Corporation | Clustering web page addresses for website analysis |
US11563762B2 (en) | 2020-06-23 | 2023-01-24 | International Business Machines Corporation | User flow graph analytics for cyber security |
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JP2906949B2 (en) | 1993-10-27 | 1999-06-21 | 富士ゼロックス株式会社 | Hypertext device |
US6008707A (en) * | 1993-11-18 | 1999-12-28 | Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | Antenna duplexer |
US6144962A (en) | 1996-10-15 | 2000-11-07 | Mercury Interactive Corporation | Visualization of web sites and hierarchical data structures |
US5968125A (en) | 1997-01-21 | 1999-10-19 | Net. Roi | Process for optimizing the effectiveness of a hypertext element |
US6088707A (en) | 1997-10-06 | 2000-07-11 | International Business Machines Corporation | Computer system and method of displaying update status of linked hypertext documents |
US6038598A (en) * | 1998-02-23 | 2000-03-14 | Intel Corporation | Method of providing one of a plurality of web pages mapped to a single uniform resource locator (URL) based on evaluation of a condition |
AU2001261232A1 (en) * | 2000-05-08 | 2001-11-20 | Walker Digital, Llc | Method and system for providing a link in an electronic file being presented to a user |
US6327628B1 (en) * | 2000-05-19 | 2001-12-04 | Epicentric, Inc. | Portal server that provides a customizable user Interface for access to computer networks |
US7107535B2 (en) * | 2000-05-24 | 2006-09-12 | Clickfox, Llc | System and method for providing customized web pages |
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